عَزَمتُI resolved علىto كَتمِconcealment الهَوىlove فَوَشَىbut betrayed بِهit
عَزَمتُ على كَتمِ الهَوى فَوَشَى بِه
شَهدانِtwo witnesses مَقبولانِboth accepted للِسُّهدِfor sleeplessness والدَّمعِand tears
شَهدانِ مَقبولانِ للِسُّهدِ والدَّمعِ
I resolved to conceal my love, but it was betrayed by
I resolved to conceal my love, but it was betrayed
two credible witnesses—sleeplessness and tears.
By two accepted witnesses: tears and longing
عَلىdespite أنَّنيthat I لَمdid not آلُI spare صَراًrestraint وإنّماand only
عَلى أنَّني لَم آلُ صَراً وإنّما
صَدَدتُI turned away وماand not صَبريmy patience علىwith الصَّدِّestrangement فيwithin وُسعِcapacity
صَدَدتُ وما صَبري على الصَّدِّ في وُسعِ
Yet I spared no effort to restrain it; I merely
Yet I did not weaken, only resisted
turned away, though enduring estrangement is beyond my power.
Though my patience was not equal to resistance
عُذِلتُI was reproached عَلىfor طُولِlength الحَنينِyearning وإنand if أكُنI have been
عُذِلتُ عَلى طُولِ الحَنينِ وإن أكُن
حَنَتُI yearned فكَمthen how many مِنof أُسوةٍan example لِيَfor me فيin الجَزعِanguish
حَنَتُ فكَم مِن أُسوةٍ لِيَ في الجَزعِ
I was reproached for my long yearning; yet if I have
I was blamed for prolonged yearning, though indeed
yearned, how many examples I have in anguish!
I grieved no more than was exemplary
عَصَانيَdefied me قَلبٌa heart فيin الهَوىlove فأطَعتُهُso I obeyed it
عَصَانيَ قَلبٌ في الهَوى فأطَعتُهُ
فياso, O عَجَباًwonder للأصلِat the root يَنقادُsubmits للفَرعِto the branch
فيا عَجَباً للأصلِ يَنقادُ للفَرعِ
A heart defied me in love, so I obeyed it.
My heart disobeyed me in love, so I obeyed it
How strange that the root should submit to the branch!
How strange that the branch should tame the root
عَمَرتُI filled فُؤادِيmy heart بالحَبيبِwith the beloved صَبابَةًardent longing
عَمَرتُ فُؤادِي بالحَبيبِ صَبابَةً
ونزَّهتُهُand I exalted him عنabove حِسٍّperception لَحظيmy gaze وَعَنand above سَمعِيmy hearing
ونزَّهتُهُ عن حِسٍّ لَحظي وَعَن سَمعِي
I filled my heart with the beloved in ardent longing,
I nurtured my heart on the beloved in pure youth
and exalted him above the perception of my gaze and my hearing.
And kept it far from any glance or hearing that was not noble
عَساهُmay he إذاwhen لَمnot يُلفَbe found فيin القَلبthe heart غَيرُهُanyone but him
عَساهُ إذا لَم يُلفَ في القَلب غَيرُهُ
يُعامِلُنيhe treats me بَعدَafter التَّفرُّدِsolitude بالجَمعِwith union
يُعامِلُني بَعدَ التَّفرُّدِ بالجَمعِ
May he, when none but he is found within the heart,
May he, if none but he fills the heart,
grant me union after solitude.
Treat me with gentleness, now that we are alone
عَرَفتُكَI knew you لمّاwhen لَمdid not أجِدI find مَعدِلاًan alternative
عَرَفتُكَ لمّا لَم أجِد مَعدِلاً
وذُوand one endowed with الحُسنِbeauty والإحسانِand beneficence يُعرَفُis recognized بالطَّبعِby instinct
وذُو الحُسنِ والإحسانِ يُعرَفُ بالطَّبعِ
I knew you when I found nowhere else to turn;
I knew you when I found no peer
and one endowed with beauty and beneficence is known by instinct.
For the fair and gracious are known by nature
عَرَجتُI ascended بِسرِّيwith my secret نَحوَtoward مَنthe one هُوَit is سِرُّهhis secret
عَرَجتُ بِسرِّي نَحوَ مَن هُوَ سِرُّه
وإنّيand indeed I لَرَاضٍam truly content بالعَطاءِwith giving وبالمَنعِand with withholding
وإنّي لَرَاضٍ بالعَطاءِ وبالمَنعِ
I ascended with my secret toward him whose secret it is,
I confided my secret to him who was my secret
and I am truly content with giving and withholding.
And I am content both with largesse and with denial
عِيانُكَbeholding you أعيَانيhas defeated me وَلَستُyet I am not بنَازعٍwithdrawing
عِيانُكَ أعيَاني وَلَستُ بنَازعٍ
عَنِfrom الأمَدَthe goal الأقصىfarthest وإنeven if كُنتُI am فيin النَّزعِdeath's throes
عَنِ الأمَدَ الأقصى وإن كُنتُ في النَّزعِ
Beholding you has defeated me, yet I will not turn away
Your person is my person, I dispute not
from the farthest goal, even if I am in death's throes.
The utmost term, though I am tempted to contend
عَذابُtorment الهَوَىof love عَذبٌsweet وَعِنديَand I have ذَوقُهُits taste
عَذابُ الهَوَى عَذبٌ وَعِنديَ ذَوقُهُ
وَيُوجَدُand is found طِيبُsweetness الشَّهدhoney فيin ألَمِthe pain الشَّمعِof wax
وَيُوجَدُ طِيبُ الشَّهد في ألَمِ الشَّمعِ
Love's torment is sweet, and I know its taste;
The torment of love is sweet, and I find its taste sweet
and honey's sweetness is found in the pain of wax.
And pure honey may be found in the sting of bees
Sol 6.1